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Happy Friday one and all.

We have made it to the final game of the 2026 preseason, game four for the Cardinals.

I actually think what the Cardinals have been dealt by the NFL is a bit dirty. One of two teams to play four preseason games, then not getting their bye week until Decemeber.

So, let’s hope for health in this one, because really at this point, nothing else matters.

Enjoy the game.

Arizona Cardinals at Green Bay Packers

Date: Friday, August 28, 2026
Time: 5:00 p.m. AT
Location: Lambeau Field — Green Bay, WI
National TV: CBS (Channel 5 locally)
National online streaming: NFL+, NFL Network
TV announcers: Paul Calvisi (play-by-play) Sam Acho (analyst) Dani Sureck (sideline)
Radio: Arizona Sports 98.7 FM
Radio announcers: J.P. Shadrick (play-by-play), A.Q. Shipley (analyst)
Spanish Radio: Latino Mix 100.3 FM KQMR
Spanish Radio announcers: Jesus Quinonez (play-by-play) and Irving Villanueva (analyst)
Betting line: Cardinals +1.5 per FanDuel Sportsbook

On Tuesday, college baseball took one step closer to implementing technology that can ensure more accuracy in the game.

The automated ball-strike system, known as ABS, was approved for use across all divisions of college baseball starting next season.

Following NCAA approval in July, Tuesday’s statement was that the Division I Baseball Oversight Committee and the Division II and III Playing Rules Oversight Panels approved the usage of the technology.

Considered an experimental rule, individual teams will have the option to use the system as long as the technology is available at their facility.

The SEC experimented with ABS during their conference tournament in Hoover for the 2026 season. It was highly successful with a conversion rate of 56.2%. There were 105 challenges and 59 of those were overturned. Each team started the game with 3 challenges and retained them upon a successful attempt.

With umpiring being far from perfect, especially in the SEC, ABS feels like a no-brainer. It’s quick and barely slows down the flow of the game. The pitcher, catcher, or hitter can simply tap their hat/helmet a few times, the umpire announces the challenge, and the video board displays a box representing the strike zone and whether or not the ball touched the zone. The call is either changed or upheld and the game carries on all in the matter of 10-15 seconds.

LSU benefitted from ABS twice in the 9th inning of their final game of the year. With a loss meaning the end of their season, the Tigers were down 3-1 to Auburn and needing a rally. Derek Curiel was called for strike 3 with a 3-2 count, but immediately tapped his helmet and was correct.

Later that inning, Brayden Simpson was also called for strike 3 on a 3-2 count, which would have ended the game. He challenged and it was overturned, which awarded him a walk and he became the tying run on 1st base. LSU was unable to complete the rally, but neither of those players would have reached base if not for ABS.

I was told by a source close to the situation that while the technology will be allowed to be used through super regionals, it will not be available at the College World Series in Omaha. The reason for that was not explained, but as of now, they will revert back to full umpire control for the biggest tournament of the year.

The use of 18-inch bases was also approved for all three divisions of college baseball next year. As of now, 15-inch bases are the standard.

The double first base will now be required for all games. The SEC was first to experiment with that rule at the conference tournament in 2024. It became optional in 2025, then mandated for all Division I schools in 2026. Now, all of college baseball will be required to use it.

Division I baseball will use a 30-second timer for between batters, along with mound visits and offensive timeouts.

Other experimental rules that are on the table for all three divisions include a pitcher having two free disengagements with a third needing to result in a pickoff out or it would be considered a balk. It’s also possible that pitchers entering a game will face a three batter minimum, unless the inning ends.

Each of the last two possible rules are standard in the MLB.

Do you like these rule changes? Which ones do you look forward to and which would you rather not see in the college game?

Below you will find our dynasty rankings for the year’s NFL rookies. We of course need to take a long view in dynasty leagues, but we know that an offensive rookie who doesn’t get playing time in year one is going to have an uphill battle for fantasy relevancy. That means we want to pick players with at least a decent path to playing time, and it wouldn’t hurt if they are also on a team with a strong base offensively.

As evaluators we can love a player in college, but if he isn’t drafted early, giving him strong draft capital, he’ll need a lot of things to go his way before putting up consistent fantasy numbers. This means you can go off script a little when picking rookies, but you don’t want to wander too far from the first few rounds of the draft.

This year also is a little weak in offensive rookie depth overall, so if you do have a player you feel can make a jump despite poor draft capital, feel free to grab him, as there just aren’t a lot of strong prospects going in the 4th rounds of your rookie draft this season.

First overall pick

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Cardinals

His high ankle sprain is worrisome for this season, but he’s still the no-doubt No. 1 dynasty rookie pick. His ability should transition well to the NFL and despite landing on a down Cardinals team, he should see enough work to instantly be a fantasy asset when healthy. See if you can use his inauspicious start to trade for him or trade up to the No. 1 pick. He’s truly the cream of this crop.

When to draft Jordyn Tyson?

The Saints didn’t mind Tyson’s injury history, taking him 8th overall, with Carnell Tate as the only receiver ahead of him with pick No. 4. Tyson’s ability is great, but his injury history is scary, especially when you consider he suffered yet another hamstring injury during preseason and will miss at least the first few games of the year. We’ve seen players deal with recurring hamstring injuries that can plague them for years, but we’ve also seen players getting past the injury bug and put up strong, healthy careers.

I don’t love the overall talent in this bunch of rookies, so I’m willing to go after Tyson with the second or third pick despite the injury issues.

Rookie risers

Each training camp and preseason elevates few rookies into positions where they could see work early on. Here are some I’ve moved up my draft board.

Mike Washington, RB, Raiders

Washington has looked great so far and has shown that his odd college career won’t define him. His speed and elusiveness are NFL caliber and he’s already won the backup job to Ashton Jeanty. And if Jeanty’s ankle isn’t ready for Week 1, Washington could be a flex start from Day 1.

Emmett Johnson, RB, Chiefs

The Chiefs are going to rely more on the run this season after Patrick Mahomes’ ACL tear and signing Kenneth Walker. They also drafted Johnson, who has already won the No. 2 job behind Walker. Walker is a great runner, but does miss games due to nagging injuries. I expect we’ll see Johnson get his shot sometime this season.

De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, 49ers

Stribling wasn’t draft evaluators favorite receiver, but there’s no doubt he has the physical attributes to play in the NFL and now it looks like he’ll have the opportunity. He still has Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey ahead of him on the target tree, but that tree is looking ancient and hollow right now. Stribling will get work this season and what he’s shown in preseason looks more than legit.

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers were off yesterday.

Evan Grant writes about a huge series against the best team in baseball and why it could have a lasting impact even beyond 2026.

MLB dot come assesses the situation in the AL Wild Card race.

Jack Leiter came out of the bullpen in his third rehab appearance.

And Evan also answered a bunch of Rangers questions in a YouTube live stream.

That’s all for this morning. The Rangers start up a series against the Brewers tonight at 6:40 with Cody Bradford on the mound for Texas.

Happy Friday!

The 2012 edition of the famed Madden game was graced by Peyton Hillis. He earned that honor after a season where he rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. What followed was a season where he missed six games, he ran for less than half as many yards (587), and only found the end zone three times. In fact, after his double-digit touchdown season, he only found pay dirt six more times for the rest of his career. 

This is just one example of what is known as “The Madden Curse.” A phenomenon where NFL players are destined for a terrible season (and, in the case of Hillis, a terrible career) whenever they are bestowed with the privilege of being on the cover of the sport’s most popular game.

Why am I bringing this up? The NBA has something of a curse of its own brewing. You’ve likely heard some variation of this stat: there has not been a back-to-back champion since 2018. We’ve had eight brand new teams hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the last eight years. Even more damning, no reigning champion has even made it back to the NBA Finals in their title defense.

The reason for this is mainly due to the introduction of aprons making it hard to maintain your core for very long, but that’s besides the point. Right now, the New York Knicks are the top dogs in the association, staring down the brutal Curse of a Champion. But do they have what it takes to end this nonsense once and for all?

What’s Changed?

The Knicks do have quite a bit of continuity. Eleven of their 13 top players in total minutes played from last year are back. However, one of the two guys missing from that group is Mitchell Robinson – the second-best offensive rebounder in the NBA (Steven Adams is the king of the crop) and the heart and soul of a team that has finished top-six in the advanced version of that stat in four of the last five years. And the other loss was his heir apparent: Ariel Hukporti.

Their big addition is Andre Drummond – a veteran journeyman who is also known as a chairman of the boards. He should be able to mitigate some of the loss felt by Robinson. And offensively, their perfectly-fine tuned machine should keep running smoothly. 

The East has become more challenging. Both Robinson and Hukporti went to contenders, and the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, and Cleveland Cavaliers all made trades in the last six months that should (theoretically) improve their teams. The San Antonio Spurs – the final boss for the Knicks this past postseason – are another year older and more battle-tested. The Oklahoma City Thunder are still a looming giant, and, for their sake, hopefully the injury gods aren’t so cruel this go around. The Los Angeles Lakers are re-tooled and frisky.

Can The New York Knicks Go Back-To-Back?

The big question for me is how much of last title run was real. According to Spotrac, the Knicks had the second-fewest dollars lost due to injury last season. Their postseason strength of schedule wasn’t exactly a Murderers’ Row, either. Before the Spurs (2nd in net rating), they beat the Atlanta Hawks, 76ers, and Cavaliers, who ranked 12th, 18th, and 9th in net rating, respectively.

These points aren’t intended to dismiss the scope of their accomplishments. All past champions have benefitted from luck in some form or the other, but that doesn’t change the fact that luck played a part, and that luck isn’t something you can consistently bank on.

Even more than that, the Knicks unlocked were in a special kind of flow state for the final 16 games of the postseason – winning 15 of those contests by an average margin of victory of 17.1. Their ball movement and variance in attack points was exquisite, while their defense moved together like five puppets on a string in harmonious fashion. 

Did the Knicks crack the code and find basketball nirvana? Is this just who they are now? Or was this just lightning in a bottle – brought upon by a perfect confluence of factors? 

On FanDuel, the Knicks currently have the third-highest odds (best odds in the Eastern Conference) of winning the 2027 NBA Championship at +900 (an implied probability of 10%). I’m personally bullish on the Toronto Raptors and think they have the best blend of two-way balance on their roster of any East team, but even with that view, I still think they are only slightly better than the Knicks. And to me, I’d say that the oddsmakers are right to rank them as a top tier Eastern Conference team.

At the end of the day, it’ll come down to how well they can overcome the loss of Robinson, how much their continuity gives them an edge over the teams playing with new toys, how much of their postseason success carries over to next year, and if they can get another relatively clean bill of health. 

If those storylines end up falling in their favor, I certainly wouldn’t be shocked to see the Knicks repeat as champions and put an end to this dreaded curse once and for all. 

Anyone who has followed the Jets at any sort of detailed level over the years knows they have seen their fair share of preseason standouts. For the most part, these players don’t work out.

For every Wayne Chrebet, there have been countless guys who Jets fans have gotten excited about, only for them to never make much of an impact at the NFL level. Zach Sudfeld, Rontez Miles, Chris Streveler, Ryan Spadola, Clyde Gates…well, you get the point.

Preseason normally doesn’t tell us much, and unfortunately, beating up on a bunch of backups and fringe roster players doesn’t necessarily translate to making valuable contributions during the regular season. However, what if I told you there was a player on the 2026 Jets who might actually be able to make an impact going forward because of his intriguing profile and history?

Listen, listen. I know how this sounds.

I just gave you a complete warning about why you cannot delude yourself into buying into positive preseason performances. I’m always reminded of Tobias Fünke’s hilarious line from Arrested Development whenever I start talking myself into one of these guys:

That pretty much sums it up. It never works. Or, at least, it hardly ever works in NFL terms. But as fans, we delude ourselves into thinking there’s a chance.

This year, my guy is Nate Lynn.

Lynn is a recent acquisition who stood out in the Jets’ preseason opener last week. And while it would be incredibly premature to suggest he’s going to become some sort of impact player (or even make the team), there are enough things about his background and profile to make me at least a little more interested than I normally would be in a preseason standout.

Let’s take a look at Lynn’s history and why there might be something here.

Background

Lynn is a 24-year-old edge rusher entering his third season in the NFL.

He originally came into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2024 after a strong collegiate career at William & Mary. Known for his versatility, Lynn played all over the defensive line in college, often moving inside despite weighing around 255 pounds.

That versatility was a big part of what made him interesting. He had impressive speed for someone who spent so much time lined up around the B-gap, although his testing numbers were much more modest when viewed strictly through the lens of a stand-up edge rusher.

Still, Lynn evidently did enough to impress then-Lions general manager Brad Holmes and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

After a solid offseason and training camp, Lynn’s rookie season was unfortunately cut short in his very first preseason game against the Giants. He suffered a torn ligament in his shoulder, which was particularly discouraging considering he had already flashed with a sack in the game.

Lynn spent the entire 2024 season on injured reserve. Then came 2025.

Once again, Lynn generated buzz throughout the offseason, with Brad Holmes publicly describing him as “impressive.” And his preseason performance backed that up. In four preseason games (the Lions played in the Hall of Fame Game) Lynn accumulated 10 total pressures and a sack. Those 10 pressures ranked among the top three of all edge rushers that preseason, while his PFF grade and pass-rush win rate were both in the 99th percentile among qualified pass rushers. Despite all of that, Lynn was cut.

That came as somewhat of a surprise. A quick look at the Lions 53-man roster projections from beat writers that summer shows that Lynn was generally expected to make the team. The overall sentiment seemed to be that he had done enough to stick around. Instead, he ended up signing with the Titans’ practice squad.

Then came another regime change, and Robert Saleh ultimately opted not to keep him around. That brings us to the Jets.

So, What Do We Make of Him?

Lynn has played just one preseason game with the Jets, but he immediately looked like one of the best players on the field, even if he was doing it against backups. He finished with two sacks against the Steelers and was the Jets’ second-highest graded defensive player in the game. One of those sacks came against Steelers starting tackle Broderick Jones.

Obviously, none of this means Lynn is suddenly going to become a star. If anything, he might still be more likely not to make the Jets’ 53-man roster. That’s the reality of being an undersized, relatively unproven edge rusher who has bounced around the league. The intriguing part though, is Lynn has now produced in essentially every preseason setting in which he’s been given an opportunity. In 2025, he was one of the most productive pass rushers in the entire preseason and still couldn’t crack the Lions’ roster. Now, a year later, he has joined another team and immediately flashed again.

Maybe this is just another case of a guy dominating against players who won’t be on NFL rosters in a few weeks. There are certainly plenty of reasons to believe that. But unlike some of the classic Jets preseason stars we’ve fallen in love with over the years, Lynn at least has a track record that makes me a little more interested. He has collegiate production, legitimate versatility, and he has already flashed on multiple occasions in preseasons.

Now he has one more preseason game to make his case. He’s got a lot to play for tonight. And I’ll be rooting for him.

Tue Denver Broncos host the Minnesota tonight for their preseason finale. Coming off an embarrassing blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers last week, the Broncos have a lot of issues to work out. Here are several storylines to watch this evening in Denver’s last gridiron battle before the regular season kicks off in a few weeks against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.

Can the Broncos play disciplined and dial back the penalties?

The Broncos have experienced an impressive turnaround with Head Coach Sean Payton leading the way. Despite incurring a historic amount of dead cap by moving on from Russell Wilson several seasons ago, Denver has assembled one of the best rosters in the NFL. Moreover, General Manager George Paton has done a tremendous job inking the team’s best players to long-term contracts that have aged well as the market continues to explode at premium positions.

Coming off their first AFC title in a decade and 14-win season, the Broncos are in the best spot they have been in ages. However, they have one of the toughest schedules for the upcoming 2026 season. They face a gauntlet in the first half of the season—going head-to-head against a lot of playoff teams and potential Super Bowl contenders. It’ll be tough to win those games, especially if they continue their poor trend of drawing flags.

Last season, the Broncos were the fourth-most flagged team in football. A lot of offensive drives were stalled due to them, and many drives for the opposition were extended due to consistent defensive holding, pass interference, or roughing the passer penalties. So far this preseason they have had 18 called against them. That’s a nine per game average which is absolutely alarming.

This is a well-coached team, but the miscues and penalty issues that have plagued them for the past several seasons needs to be addressed. Payton was visibly upset with their lack of discipline after their loss to the Packers and mentioned it has to be rectified. That’s one of the major things I’m looking forward to seeing.

Will the Broncos’ rushing attack bounce back?

One of the reasons why the Broncos were able to trounce the Atlanta Falcons in the preseason opener was because of their ground game. They rushed for over 160 yards. By doing so, they set the pace of the game and controlled the clock. Against the Packers last week, they had less than half of that and barely averaged three yards per carry.

That isn’t going to cut the mustard when it matters most. The Vikings have a well-coached defense led by Brian Flores who has a penchant for being aggressive and blitzing. Sometimes, that can backfire on them, and they were in the bottom half of the NFL last season with respect to run defense. I want to see Denver take advantage of that and have a strong rushing performance this evening.

Having a solid ground attack will make a huge difference for the Broncos this season. Fans across Broncos Country saw what happened in the second half of the season without J.K. Dobbins. I’m hoping to see Denver deploy a formidable rushing attack against Minnesota and would like Dobbins, alongside RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman, to show what kind of trio they can be in the regular season.

What players make the strongest case to make the final 53-man roster?

Continuity was a major theme for the Broncos this offseason. Outside of trading for Jaylen Waddle and their 2026 NFL Draft class, Denver didn’t opt to bring in a lot of outside players to their roster. It’s a team loaded with quality starters and solid backups at most positions. Truth be told, there aren’t a lot of positions up for grabs.

The preseason finale against the Vikings will be the last chance for fringe roster players to make a case to earn a spot on the roster. The spots I’m looking at the most are who impresses the most at safety. With Taylor Rapp in the fold alongside Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga, those three will be locks for the final roster.

The last two spots, if Denver opts to keep five safeties like last season, will come down to Devon Key, Tycen Anderson, J.L. Skinner, and Miles Scott. Key, given his prowess as an All-Pro special team’s player seems likely. Whichever player flashes the most in their defensive reps, in my opinion, will be the one to make the squad.

Outside of safety, the battle for two depth spots behind Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad looms large. Karene Reid has played well in both preseason games and seems like a good bet to make the squad. The last spot will come down to Red Murdock, Taurean York, and Jordan Turner. My gut tells me Murdock has the inside track for this one given the praise he has received from Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph throughout training camp.

Last but not least, I’ll be keeping a close eye on the offensive trenches. The Broncos have been banged up at center and most all the reserve lineman struggled immensely last week against the Packers. While I’m confident in the team’s starters to play at a high level, finding the right combination of depth players behind them will be crucial. There have been far too many offensive line penalties and blown blocks the past two weeks.

What about you, Broncos Country? What things are you keeping a close eye on in the preseason finale against the Vikings? Sound off in the comments section and let me know what you think.

Labor Day steals fast upon us, and in baseball language, this means we’re closing in on the point in the season when a team’s record and standings are a truer indicator of underlying value than vague talk about “parts” and “clubhouse vibes” and “potential.” It’s been a difficult year for the Orioles by most measures—a losing record (65-69), injuries hitting both the rotation and the bullpen, and a trade deadline that saw several key pieces sent off. Even so, with roughly a month remaining in the season, the Orioles remain within range in a tight AL Wild Card race: the Yankees and Red Sox hold the top two spots, while the Cleveland Guardians hold the third, with Baltimore, Texas, and a few others a handful of games away.

The Orioles have us at least thinking about believing again. But is hope warranted? There is good news and bad news here.

One hopeful piece is the offense: the lineup has started to heat up at just the same time Cleveland has to be caught. The Orioles’ offense has been a drag all year —while they’ve hit well for power, their .237 team batting average is one of the worst in the league. But you wouldn’t know it of late. The batting average is up by 20 points, and their latest series against the Cardinals was one of their most prolific to date. The Birds put up 13 runs on Tuesday, eight more on Wednesday, and five more in Thursday’s loss. Several players are leading the charge. Pete Alonso has nine homers in his last 16 games. Coby Mayo has been part of the resurgence too—he’s tied Matt Olson for the MLB lead with 14 homers against lefties—and Christian Encarnacion-Strand is suddenly OPS’ing over .800 and racking up clutch hits right and left. Dylan Beavers and Jackson Holliday are finding it, too. Eight different O’s hitters are now carrying a 100-plus wRC+.

The trouble is, the offensive resurgence is coinciding with a stretch where the pitching is starting to flag. The bullpen is one culprit, if not a surprise one. This is a collection of nobodies, to put it affectionately, especially given the injuries. Keegan Akin was lost to elbow pain in July and is done for the year. Ryan Helsley has been on the injured list since July 3 with UCL inflammation—his second elbow-related IL stint of the season—and while he’s avoided surgery, there’s no clear return date. Félix Bautista has been on the shelf with elbow troubles for over a year. And selling off Tyler Wells at the trade deadline, the closest thing the O’s had to a closer with Helsley on the shelf, certainly wasn’t a move designed to help win close games now. Recently calls to the ‘pen have proven suspect: manager Craig Albernaz still hasn’t settled on a ninth-inning option, cycling through Andrew Kittredge—who did lock down Wednesday’s save—Rico Garcia, Grant Wolfram, and Alex Hoppe, the last of whom only arrived in early August.

Another, less expected problem is that the Birds’ rotation is looking as shaky as it has all season all of a sudden. This is a solid group on paper—Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Chris Bassitt, Shane Baz, and Brandon Young—but lately they’re showing wear and tear. On Thursday, Trevor Rogers showed signs of fatigue, allowing six runs on seven hits in five innings, undone by a hanging changeup and control problems. Kyle Bradish is also losing his magic, collapsing in the fifth inning Wednesday and leaving the bullpen to cover 4⅔ scoreless frames just to save the win. Bradish just signed a five-year extension and is already at 143 innings this season, after throwing barely 70 combined in the previous two years while recovering from elbow trouble. Brandon Young, the rookie who nearly threw a perfect game this year, is also worth watching for fatigue: his 3.50 ERA is a genuine achievement for a consummate dark horse, but 123⅓ innings is already more than he’s ever thrown as a professional. And Shane Baz, through no fault of his own, is apparently a bad-luck charm for the Orioles’ offense, sporting a league-high 14 losses despite a 4.02 ERA and the third-worst run support of any starter in baseball.

Circling back to the question of the playoffs, it’s hard to think, even if the Orioles continue to hang tough with the Cleveland Guardians, that these flaws won’t surface down the stretch against a bunch of competitive AL East teams hungry to make the playoffs. The Yankees (75-58) and Red Sox (73-60) are already hold the two spots, and they’re pretty well uncatchable at this point. Three games separate the Orioles from Cleveland, bearer of the third spot, but their schedule requires them to face all their neighbors in the AL East down the stretch. A thin bullpen and a tiring rotation might be surmountable against the Athletics and Rockies, but they’re much harder problems against Boston, Tampa Bay, and Toronto—all clubs with real postseason ambitions of their own—on the way to the finish line.

The O’s are more than talented enough to make noise in the wild-card race, but do they have the depth to do much damage beyond it? It’s hard to think so. At the same time, you want to catch the bug and ride out the momentum of this season while we can. So let’s enjoy a stretch against weaker competition, a three-game set at Oakland beginning today and a weekend trip to Colorado, while we try to figure out once and for all who the 2026 Orioles really are. If this team is for real, this stretch is the time to prove it.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in town for a weekend set with the Tigers, and the story will certainly revolve around Tarik Skubal’s return to Detroit. Rarely in franchise history has the organization had such a talented pitcher and it was a pleasure to watch the two-time Cy Young award winner’s career unfold. While Casey Mize, Matt Manning, and Alex Faedo were the hotshot first round picks, Skubal was the afterthought who, through a lot of hard work and development, turned himself into one of the greatest pitchers in Tigers’ history. At the same time, the circumstances between Skubal and the Tigers over his final year with the team are still too fresh in many minds for a dispassionate assessment.

My first experience with Tarik Skubal was just looking him up as a matter of course on draft day 2018, when the Tigers selected him in the ninth round. What we saw was a skinny, young left-hander with an obviously good fastball, but nothing else that really stood out. His breaking stuff and changeup were really mediocre, and my first thought was that he might make a good fastball heavy reliever.

He was impressive in a brief look in A-ball, but there wasn’t much new to report. Then came his full season dominance in 2019 as he tore through High-A, and then went absolutely nuts during a 42.1 inning stint at Double-A to close the year. He was comfortably sitting 95 mph and hitting 97-98 mph here and there, but the carry traits on his fourseamer were just outrageous. His slider was somewhat improved, but he was still heavily fastball reliant, and yet no one could hit him. He struck out 48.2 percent of hitters faced, with an insane 21.7 percent whiff rate. There still wasn’t much artistry to his approach. Instead it looked like a game of catch on steroids as he just threw fastballs by everyone with abandon.

It’s easy to forget how long a process it really was for Skubal to transform himself physically, mentally, and in terms of his actual stuff, into the beast we watched from mid-2023 until he was traded. His 2020 debut during the short COVID season wasn’t impressive at all, and he was marginally better as his slider improved in 2021, but still shockingly home run prone. It didn’t help that MLB cracked down on the sticky stuff in June of 2021, and Skubal’s fastball spin rate notably declined after the new policies and umpire inspections of pitchers was instituted. No doubt there was an adjustment period for him three in recalibrating the heater.

The first big evolution of his pro career came in the wake of those changes, as Skubal started using his sinker and slider more, and the latter pitch improved significantly. He also started leaning into his natural tendency to cut the fourseam fastball and began pitching inside much more aggressively to right-handed hitters, with good results. After being incredibly home run prone his first two seasons, he drastically cut down the home runs allowed in 2022 and was on his way to a very good season before blowing out the flexor tendon in his left elbow at the beginning of August. The process of recovering from that surgery was really where Skubal turned himself into the ace version of himself.

When Tarik Skubal emerged to start making rehab outings in June of 2023, he looked like a whole different person. His legs had turned into tree trunks, and his whole frame was bulked up with good muscle and moving faster and more efficiently than ever before. Suddenly the fastball was routinely 98-99 mph. Reportedly, analysts in the Tigers front office had come up with a seam-shifted changeup for him, and once Skubal got the feel for that pitch he was off to the races with the best fastball-changeup combination in the game.

From that point in mid-2023 through 2025, Skubal was the best pitcher in baseball. In the process, he transformed what was possible for a club still trying to build up their roster. The Tigers front office was slow on the uptake in my opinion, and really never made a serious effort to capitalize as their young talent from the great Avila draft classes of 2018-2020 came into their own. The Tigers won a pair of Wild Card series, and came close to advancing to the ALCS last fall, but ultimately they were always a big piece or two short of looking like a legit World Series contender.

The point of going back through his history is just to re-emphasize that Skubal was never the guy. He turned himself into the monster he became with a ton of drive and hard-work. He did so as a perfect citizen in the Tigers’ clubhouse, providing leadership and motivation to all around him. He breathed fire on the mound and wasn’t shy of a little chirping with opposing teams and fanbases, all while maintaining a very open, light-hearted approach to the media. This isn’t Justin Verlander, who was always the man right from the start, with all the physical gifts one could ask for in a pitcher, including downright ludicrous durability. Skubal was a nobody who built himself up into one of the most overpowering pitchers in recent history, and secured his place in history already by winning back-to-back AL Cy Young awards.

It’s hard to find much fault with Skubal here. The time to pursue an extension was after his 2023 breakout. The Tigers apparently made one vague, lowball extension offer in 2024, and neither party broached the subject again. At that point he was too close to free agency to go offering a huge discount. Whether Skubal wanted to stay or not, and he’s always insisted that he’d love to be a Tiger for life, Scott Harris never seemed very interested. At the same time, as a Scott Boras client and union rep for the Tigers, whether Skubal would have considered a less than full market value extension is an open question. A question the Tigers never tested with an offer.

Losing a player of this caliber is really hard on a fanbase. Smaller market clubs are accustomed to being poached by the Dodgers and Yankees of the baseball world, but it never feels good, especially on a team that actually had preseason hopes. Tarik Skubal’s emergence as the best pitcher in baseball helped open a window of contention and gave us all a pretty good dose of postseason baseball. While some remain frustrated that he didn’t pitch an extra inning in Game 5 of last year’s ALDS, he’s certainly the one who did the most to get them there.

From the end of the 2025 playoffs until he was traded on August 1 to the Dodgers, an absolute storm of scutiny and speculation from national and local media followed Skubal wherever he went. At times, he didn’t handle it that well, as his natural desire to be open and well-liked by the Tigers’ fanbase led him into some traps. He couldn’t talk numbers, and by then it was finally clear to everyone if it wasn’t already, that he was going to free agency. But because he’s the one center stage and can’t hide from the drama, it was up to him to field the same types of questions over and over for the nine months until he was traded. He arguably put his foot in his mouth a few times, but for the most part he conducted himself admirably.

Fundamentally, all a player can do is play and conduct themselves like a professional. They’re judged by how they perform, and to a degree for how well they represent the franchise and the fanbase with their conduct. Skubal was close to impeccable on both counts, and while it’s natural for some to have some hard feelings, there’s really no reason to direct any of that at Tarik Skubal. He did everything he could to win in Detroit, even rushing through a bit of an experimental procedure on his elbow in May to try and get back to action as soon as possible. We were fortunate to have him and there’s really nothing to suggest the Tigers ever seriously pursued keeping him long-term.

What is really going to be interesting now though, is whether a combination of his somewhat injury plagued season and a whole host of issues with the league, the Dodgers, and the next CBA will impact his free agency. A year ago, he looked like he might land a $400 million deal from the Dodgers. Now, with a slightly down year at age 29, with the 2027 season in at least some doubt, and with their ownership mired in financial trouble, things are a lot less clear. Will the Tigers be involved? Who knows, but at least the field seems to be opening up.

When Tarik Skubal returns to the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight, let’s hope he gets a full throated standing ovation from the Tigers’ faithful. He’s earned it. His peak puts him among the best Tigers’ pitchers of all-time, and when some of the heat from the drama of the past year subsides, that legacy in Detroit is all that will remain. Seeing him on the mound is going to bring up a broad mix of emotions from Tigers fans, but it’s also a bit of a relief to have the drama behind us. The Tigers are headed into a tricky time for the organization and there’s a lot to consider going into the offseason. Tarik Skubal is not really one of those things right now, so perhaps Friday night will just be cathartic in a sense and everyone can move on, at least for now.

Welcome back home, Tarik. We hope you get the love you deserve, and then the Tigers drop an eight-spot on you somehow. It’s all in the game.

Good quarterbacks are tough to find. And even generational talent coming out of college doesn’t always end up being as generational as you’d hoped. I’m looking at you Trevor Lawrence. This also wasn’t the best year for quarterbacks in the draft. But, so much depends on coaching, opportunity and the players around quarterbacks, that some fantasy value could come out of this draft class, but we may need to wait on it.

If you are in a 10-12 team dynasty that starts one quarterback, there really is no need to worry all that much about rookie quarterbacks, especially this season. Yes, Fernando Mendoza is going to play and Klint Kubiak may be able to get him into the upper tier of fantasy QBs sooner than later, but I’m not betting on its especially when I can make bets on RB, WR, and TE instead.

Of course, if you are in a 2QB league, you’re going to need to take fliers on quarterbacks, because their value is much higher when you need 24 starting QBs instead of 12. When those bye weeks come around or injuries pop up, you’ll feel that crunch and desperation for any warm body set in.

The good news is that rookie quarterbacks are cheap to roster, especially this year. Throw them on your bench and see how it goes.

Fernando Mendoza, Raiders

Mendoza is the only quarterback in this draft assured to make an NFL start. The team invested the first overall pick in hi, and they’ll do all they can to make him an NFL QB. I’m still not taking him ahead of the top offensive players in this draft, even if it is a 2QB league. That doesn’t mean he is very much worth drafting for your bench in hopes that Klint Kubiak can work his magic.

Ty Simpson, Rams

After Mendoza, Ty Simpson is the only quarterback with strong draft capitol and he has an old Matthew Stafford nearing retirement ahead of him. This alone makes him worth a pick, but the talent is suspect. Sean McVay and Puka Nacua are enough to give Simpson more upside than he deserves though. He’s a must draft in 2QB leagues and 14 team leagues with deep benches.

The New Orleans Saints are 0-2 in the preseason so far and didn’t look pretty in a 34-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. With New Orleans entering their final preseason match, it feels vital to go into the regular season on a high note.

Head coach Kellen Moore has already announced very few starters will see playtime against the Dallas Cowboys. Despite the reserves seeing the bulk of the playing time, there’s still plenty of matchups to pay attention to on Friday night.

Saints secondary vs. QB Joe Milton III

Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III has been lighting it up in the preseason. Through two games, Milton has thrown for 286 yards and 3 touchdowns with just seven incompletions. For short, the Saints defense that just allowed 254 passing yards is in for a challenge.

Milton’s talent is exceptional, and he may be one of the league’s best raw talents. While he hasn’t been able to put it all together as a starter in the league, his name often comes up as a trade target for teams looking for a young passer.

The Saints secondary had a strong showing against the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first preseason outing, despite the loss, but followed it up quickly with a poor performance against the Rams. With questions entering the season centered around the secondary, they’ll need a strong performance on Friday to increase confidence in the depth.

Saints pass rush vs. Cowboys pass protection

Part of Milton’s success has been the Dallas pass protection. Through two games, the Cowboys have only allowed one sack, with Milton himself not suffering a sack.

In preseason week one, the Saints pass rush logged four sacks, with Michael Heldman recording two. But like every other facet of the game, the Saints’ pass rush was terrible against the Rams, failing to record a quarterback hit.

If New Orleans wants to slow down the powerful Cowboys offense, it will come with slowing down the Dallas quarterbacks. If the Saints can replicate their success from their first outing, they will severely increase their chances of coming out on top and winning their first game of preseason.

RB Kendre Miller vs. Cowboys run defense

Running back Devin Neal and Ty Chandler each suffered significant injuries against the Rams. These injuries only emphasized the depletion of available backs the Saints have in the running back room. With the injuries, the Saints traded for Zamir White.

Despite the trade, running back Kendre Miller is still the player with the best chance to take over for Alvin Kamara while he’s away with an injury. Through two games, the Cowboys have allowed 242 rushing yards. While facing a defense that has been vulnerable to the run, the Saints’ run game has been inconsistent.

In his preseason debut against the Rams, Miller only rushed for 22 yards on six carries. While underwhelming, the fourth-year running back had plenty of plays negated by penalties and still showed the ability to create explosive plays. Friday’s matchup is a great opportunity for the young running back, who has a big opportunity to see playtime this season.

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The Chicago Cubs welcome the Cincinnati Reds to Wrigley Field for a weekend set, trading at 64% on Polymarket.

My Reds vs. Cubs predictions break down why the hosts will come out on top in a high-scoring game.

Read my free MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 28 below.

Who will win Reds vs Cubs today: Cubs moneyline (64%)

The Chicago Cubs own the best offense in baseball (5.19 runs per game), and they’ll be licking their chops today when they face Cincinnati Reds starter Rhett Lowder.

The right-hander owns a massive 5.14 xERA (10th percentile) and .266 xBA (16th percentile), while ranking in the 15th percentile in pitching run value.

The Cubs have been on fire at the dish this week, led by Ian Happ, who’s sporting an insane 1.335 OPS with 10 RBI. As a club, Chicago leads the majors in runs (39), SLG (.512), and OPS (.858) over the last seven days.

Take the Cubs up to 67%.

COVERS INTEL: The Cubs are batting .301 (third in MLB) with a .373 wOBA (second in MLB) against the sinker, which is Lowder’s most utilized pitch (29.2%).

Reds vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (50%)

We know Lowder has been lousy, but David Peterson has been just as bad for Chicago.

The southpaw has a 4.84 xERA and .271 xBA, with a pitching run value in the ninth percentile. The Reds’ offense is also much more respectable against left-handed pitching, as they sit eighth in MLB in OPS vs. southpaws (.731).

The Cubs have cashed the Over in eight of Peterson’s last 10 appearances, while the Over is 2-0 in their two prior games against Lowder this season.

The Over is the play up to 52%.

Reds vs Cubs home run prediction: Ian Happ (19%)

What a week it’s been for Happ.

The Cubs outfielder leads the majors with 10 RBI over that span while batting .350 with a ridiculous 1.335 OPS and three dingers to boot.

Happ has hit eight of his 23 home runs against either the sinker or the slider — Lowder’s two main offerings.

Happ’s on fire and we’re getting a great price on him to go yard again. Play him up to 21%.

Reds vs Cubs weather

Wrigley Field will see clear skies with temperatures in the mid-70s and light winds pushing in from right field.

Reds vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Cincinnati (37¢) | Chicago (64¢)
• Run line: Cincinnati +1.5 (56¢) | Chicago -1.5 (47¢)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (46¢) | Under 8.5 (55¢)

Reds vs Cubs trend

The Cubs have covered the run line in 28 of their last 45 games (+16.10 Units / 31% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Reds vs. Cubs.

How to watch Reds vs Cubs and game info

Reds vs Cubs latest injuries

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Hickory was rained out.

Andrew Susac went 0.2 IP for Hub City, walking three and allowing four runs.

Paxton Kling was 2 for 3 with two walks and two stolen bases. Gleider Figuereo had a hit. Maxton Martin had a hit. Eduardo Mejia had a hit and a walk. Chandler Pollard had a hit.

Hub City box score

Eric Loomis threw a scoreless inning for Frisco, striking out two and walking one. Leandro Lopez struck out three and walked one in three shutout innings. Josh Trentadue struck out two and walked one in two scoreless innings.

Frisco box score

Round Rock starter Winston Santos allowed one run in 3.2 IP, striking out six and walking two. Ben Peoples struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings. Michel Otanez struck out two in two shutout innings. Emiliano Teodo allowed five runs in 0.1 IP, walking two. Joe Russ allowed four runs in 1.1 IP, walking two and striking out one. Marc Church allowed a run in 0.1 IP, walking two.

Round Rock box score